Refrigerator car



OC- 2, 1951 R. K. scHwEBs 2,5670,162

REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Jan. 12, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 AT TOR NEYS Oct. 2, 1951 R. K. SCHWEBS 2,5670,l62

REFRIGERATOR CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. l2, 1946 lill/111112,.

' lNVENTOR ROBERT KENT SCH E c Oct 2, 1951 R. K. scHwEBs 2,5670,l62

' EFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Jan. l2, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 a /c f P C y@ l 55 INVENTOR ROBERT KENT SCHWEBS ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 2, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR CAR Robert Kent Schwebs, Appleton, Wis.

Application January 12, 1946, Serial No. 640,873

'I'his invention appertainsto railroad rolling stock and more particularly to refrigerators cars, and is an improvement over my prior Patents 2,136,894; 2,159,406; 2,203,180; and 2,314,463, issued to me, respectively, November 15, 1938; May 23, 1939; June 4, 1940; and March 23, 1943.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a novel `means'for driving the air circulating fans by turbines driven from oil or any other preferred type of liquid, placed under pressure by pumps arranged at advantageous places on the car and operated from the motion of the car body and trucks.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide novel means for operating the pumps from an axle of a car or from the motion developed between cars orbetween car bodies and their trucks, whereby the use of extraneous driving motors iseliminated.

A further important object of my invention is to provide novel means for arranging the fluid driven turbines' relative to the air circulating fans, whereby not only will the fans be efficiently operated for circulating the air through the bunkers and body, but whereby a minimum amount of space will be taken up within the car body.

A still further object of my invention is to provide novel means for operating air circulating fans in a refrigerator car which will be durable and eicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market and incorporated with a standard refrigerator car at a low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

Y which drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through a refrigerator car showing my invention incorporated therewith, the section being taken substantially on the line I--I of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on Y the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direc- .tion of the arrows, illustrating one preferred direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary side elevational view showing one method for attachingcustomary manner upon car trucks I6.

one of the air driven turbines to the side Yof a car, the View being partly broken away and in section to illustrate structural detail.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view through a refrigerator car showing another form for driving a pair of air circulating fans from a single lineshaft.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing one of the air circulating fans.

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure l, but showing the fans so arranged as to circulate the air in a different direction from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail transverse sectional view through a car illustrating means for operating the fluid circulating pump from the side sway motion of the car body and trucks relative to one another while the car is in transit.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, but showing a modified form or means for operating the circulating pump from the motion developed between parts of a car truck.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter C generally indicates a refrigerator freight car and the same includes the customary insulated body I0, having formed at each end thereof, by transverse partitions II, bunkers I2 for the reception of ice I3. The ice rests on a grating I4 arranged above the level of the car floor. The body I0 of the car is, likewise, provided with a suitable perforated false bottom I5, on which the foodstuffs to lbe shipped are placed.

The car body I0 is supported in the usual or The car trucks I6 include side frames I'I and I8 supporting at their ends, pedestals I9 for the journal boxes 20. These journal boxes 20 `rotatably receive the wheel axles 2| on which are mounted the car wheels 22.

`carried by the side frames.

In accordance with my invention, I arrange above the partition one or more air circulating fans 30. In the present instance I have shown two fans directly above the partition and rmly secured to the roof of the car Hl. Similar fans 3| are secured to the roof of the car in rear of the partition and at the end of the car above the bunkers. Like air circulating fans 32 are arranged, below the bunkers and b elow the grating I4v` at the ends ofthe c ar. Each of these air circulating fans'iicludes'a casing 33 having an outlet 34 and an intake 35. Rotatably. mounted Within each casing is the propeller or fan 36, itself.

The inlets 35 for the fans SIJextend `into the bunkers for drawing air therefrom andthe outlets 34 extend into the car body, adjacenttg the roof for forcing or blowing air into the car body above the partitions.

The intakes 35 for -the fans 3| extend downwardly into the. bunkers. .andi `suck cool air up from the ice. The outlets. 34 forthefansl project toward the topof the partitionsand blow. the cool air toward and overthetopofgthe partitions. The intakes 35 for the fans 32. extend parallel to the car oor and. draw .air from the car body below the false bottom I thereof. andthe outlets 34 for these fans 32 blow the air up through the bunkers so as to insure the circulation of the air past the ice.

By this. arrangement the circulation of air through the bunkers and through the car body is insured, so that the rapid cooling of' the foodstuis in the car bodywillibehadzadfso that the foodstuffs can be maintained at the desired low temperature.

My presentinvention residesmore particularly in.v the novel means. employedfor operating the air circulating fans 39; 3|V and 32infa simple and economical manner. tion of the'. fans, I provide' a.. iluid circulating pump 37.; This pump :can consist offa. cylinder 38 rigidly securedv in any'preferred manner to the car body. Mounted. for reciprocatory movement Within the cylinder is. apiston 39 Vhaving connected therewith aY piston rod 4U; The end of the cylinder opposite to theen'd and'which supports the piston rod,.is yprovided with a one-way outlet cheek valve 4|` andY one-way inlet check valve 42. Theinlet check. valve 42 controls the flow of oil or other fluid into the pump 31 from a conduit pipe 43. This conduit pipe in turn communicates with an oil reservoir or like tank 44. The outlet check valveA 4|` controls the flow of oil under pressure from the pump to a conduit The pump 31 can be a'ctuatedin various manners from the car aridf one ofmy proposed methods is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in these figures, the piston rod 40 is operatively connected to a pitman wheel 46 by means of a pitmanrod 41. The wheel 46 is rotatably carried by a pivoted hanger arrn48, Which is supported from the bottom of the 'car body. This pivoted hanger arm is normally urged downward by means of an expansioncoil spring 49. The arm and pitmanwheel is so .hung that the pitman wheel normally engages one of the axles 2| so that the same will be rotated thereby, when the car is in transit, so that the pump will be actuated. 'Ihe wheel 46 can beprovided with any suitable friction surface soas to insure proper driving contact between ,the same and the axle.

The wheel and its supporting'. arm 48 can be pulled up against the tension of the coil spring To bring about the opera- 49 so as to hold the wheel 46 from out of driving engagement with the axle when such may be desired. This can be accomplished by means of a latch rod 5U pivotally connected with the hanger arm and the latch rod can be provided with one or more notches 5| for receiving a keeper lug 52 formed on a hanger bracket 53 carried by the car body. This hanger bracket is provided with a spring for normally urging the latch rod 50 toward theke'eperclug.

Each of` the a'ir circulating fans-can be provided with a driving turbine 54, if so desired, and in that form of my invention shown in Figures 1; to Llfginclusive, I have shown a turbine 54 for Aon the outside: of the car so that the same will not ocupyanyispace within the car body and each turbine is rrnly united to the car by means of fastening elements 55. Each turbine includes a turbine casing 56, having rotatably mounted therein. the. turbine; wheek 5-'|- 'Ihepegiphery of the wheel carriesV any. pre. d type. ef. bulseis 58. Extendingfintoeach turbine-p is agnoazle 5.9 and the o utletofthenozzle `i s arranged;substantially tangentially tothe pen-ip h eiqfy. of the turbine wheelj. Theffeed; pipe or conduit connects. (through suitableir branches `3|) with1 the nozzles 5.9,' vofi each: tunbine,- so; that. .the tnnbines will be effectively driv.en.. suitable outlet. 59 for. Athe spent oilcan be DIOYidedgin each turbine casing at the desired advantageouspoint.

The; hub. of.- eachtvrbine wheel.: is ...keyed to a drive shaft 60 and the hub o fthegfamwheelgof an adjacent. fan is; keyed. on 0therWiSeei1red thereto,v so that.the fan wheelwillbe. rapidly driven from its turbine.; The. reservoiig tank 44;, has11 communicating therewith a return pipe 62 ,.fo1 -.the l snent gil. or other liquid and this pine..izhaseo-mxnunieating therewith (by: meansof suitable.4 branches) the outlets 59 o f;the,turbines.

From.V vthe description-, $.01 fenitan; be.: Seen that Ihave. provided means.- for operating@ vser-ies of advantaeeouslrY actuated;anirculatinepfans from vturbines, which are' in turn`driven.by oil O1 other fluid under .ares..Silref In Figure 5, I have shown a slightly modified form.- of my. inver.ition, ...and this.; .formi .L have Shownedrive shaft .Q3-.fora Hair.. of transyersely aligned; airi circulating fans nsgteadiof. a; single drive shaft for 'each.fan, As clearlygillustrated in this figure', the shaftB 3;can., extend entirely across the car and tlj1 eer 1 iso the-f shaft; canl be keyed or otherwise:.Serrurerieellreetly tgt-.the hubs of the turbine wheelszoftheadiaoenta-turbines.

In Figure 1, I have'shown the air'circulated in sucha way thatzthe;airissuckedfrfromzbelowfthe bottom Vof the; car body. and'forced up through erated efficiently from the various motions developed between the car body and its trucks, between parts of the trucks and between cars themselves.

In Figure 8, I have shown one way of operating pumps from the motion developed between the car body and its trucks. Usually there is a transverse sway between the car body and the trucks, and I utilize the sway of this body for operating the pumps. As shown in Figure 8, I provide a pair of pumps 65 and these pumps can be rigidly secured to the bottom of the car body I0. Each pump 65 includes a vertically disposed cylinder 66 having reciprocally mounted therein a piston 81 connected to a piston rod 68. The piston rods extend through the lower cylinder heads and the cylinders at one end are provided respectively with an intake check Valve 69 and an outlet check valve 69'. The outlet check valve controls the flow of uid to a feed pipe 18. The oil can be distributed from the pipe to the various turbines in the same manner as shown in the rst form of my invention. The inlet check valve controls the intake of oil for the return line or oil reservoir (not shown) Mounted intermediate their ends on the side frames I1 and I8 of the car trucks I5 for rocking movement, are operating levers 1I. These levers 1I rock on the side frames I1 and I8 as a fulcrum and the levers can be either pivoted thereto as shown, or merely rest thereon for the desired rocking movement. The outward ends of the levers are operatively connected for swinging movement with brackets 12 bolted or otherwise secured to the lower ends of the top bolster 21. The inner ends of the levers are operatively connected, by means of pivot pins 13, with the outer ends of the piston rods 68.

It can be seen that as the car body sways on the car trucks, the levers 1I will be alternately raised and lowered and this will in turn impart the desired reciprocatory movement to the piston 51.

In Figure 9 I have shown means for operating the pumps from the motion developed between parts of a car truck. In this form of my invention, the cylinders 15 of the pumps 16 are rigidly bolted to the bottom plank 25 of a car truck I6. The pumps are disposed on opposite sides of the center of the truck and each cylinder has reciprocally mounted therein a piston 11 connected to a piston rod 18. The piston rods 18 slidably extend through the upper cylinder heads of the cylinders. The opposite ends of the cylinders from the upper cylinder heads are provided with intake check valves 19 and outlet check valves L,

19' for the oil pipes 80. The feed and return of oil to the turbines is the same as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In this form of my invention, I also provide rock levers 8| and these levers are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends for swinging movement on pivot pins 82 carried by the bolster 23 of a car truck. The pivot pins 82 are located on the opposite sides of the transverse center of the bolster and the inner ends of the lever are operatively connected to a pivot pin 83 carried by the bottom plank 25 of the car truck, The outer ends of the levers are pivotally and operatively connected by means of pins 84 with the upper ends of the piston rods 18 of the pumps. Any movement between the bolster 23 and the plank 25 developed will cause te rocking of the levers 8|, which in turn will bring about the reciprocation of the piston 11 and the delivery of oil to the turbines. As heretofore described, the bolster 23 is resiliently supported upon the plank 25 by coil springs 24 and consequently there is an up and down movement between the bolster and its supporting plank.

I have illustrated three preferred forms of my invention for operating the pumps and broadly the invention comprehends the making use of motion between a car body and its trucks, adjacent cars, or the motion between parts of a car truck for operating the pumps.

Any preferred means can be utilized for precooling the car or driving the turbines while the car is standing still.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

In a refrigerator car of the type having a body, including a storage compartment and a bunker compartment therein, car trucks for the body including side frames, a resiliently supported bolster carried by the side frames, a top bolster secured to the car body and rockably supported to the first bolster, an air circulating fan for drawing air from one of said compartments and delivering it to the other of said compartments, means for operating said fan including aturbine, a i'luid pump delivering oil under pressure to said turbine for operating the same, means for securing the pump rigidly to the floor of the car between the side frames, rock levers fulcrumed on the side frames, means operatively connecting one end of the levers to the top bolster and means operatively connecting the opposite ends of the levers to the pump.

ROBERT KENT SCHWEBS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 393,862 Silvester Dec. 4, 1888 479,024 Seawell July 19, 1892 764,079 Symmes July 5, 1904 818,229 Chadbrn Apr. 1'7, 1906 818,629 Kerr Apr. 24, 1906 847,238 Carroll Mar. 12, 1907 1,282,506 West Oct. 22, 1918 1,584,953 Learmont May 18, 1926 1,611,782 Ryerson Dec. 21, 1926 1,922,227 Brecht Aug. 15, 1933 2,100,972 Michales Nov. 30, 1937 2,136,894 Schwebs Nov. 15, 1938 2,194,530 Torstensson Mar. 26, 1940 2,203,108 Schwebs June 4, 1940 2,314,463 Schwebs Mar. 23, 1943 2,349,315 Van Dorn May 23. 1944 2,386,002 OConnor ---1.--- Oct. 2, 1945 

